Arm attached protective device for use by dancers



0. H. THlEMlG Feb. 4, 1958 ARM ATTACHED PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR USE BY DANCERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 16, 1956 0H0 H. Thiemig INVENTOR. m

BY glow Feb. 4, 1958 o. H. QTHIEMIG 2,321,715

ARM ATTACHED PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR USE BY DANCERS Filed Oct. 16, 1956 2 She ets-Sheet 2 0H0 H. Thiemig INVENTOR.

United States Patent ARM ATTACHED PROTECTIVE DEVICE FORUSE BY DANCERS Otto H. Thiemig, Van Nuys, Calif.

Application October 16, 1956, Serial No. 616,191

Claims. (Cl. 2-46) This invention generally relates to an attachment specifically adapted for use by a male dancer for the purpose of protecting the apparel of a female dancer when the male dancer embraces the female dancer while dancing.

In most social dancing, the routine includes the positioning of one hand of the male dancer against the back or adjacent area of the female dancer. When the female dancer has on formal dress or other delicate 'or easily soiled dresses, it quite often occurs that the male dancers hand will soil the dress from perspiration or from soiled hands or a combination of both. This is especially prevalent when the female dancer is wearing an evening gown or formal dress of a delicate nature which is easily damaged by perspiration 0r dirt or a combination of both. Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to prevent such damage or unsightliness caused by such perspiration or soiled hands by the provision of an attachment for the wrist of the male dancer which effectively covers a major portion of the palm of the hand, thus permitting the palm of the hand to engage the dress of the female dancer without transmitting perspiration or soil thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective device for attachment to a male dancers hand which will be automatically retracted to a position for future use and which is so constructed that it Will be attractive and neat in appearance and generally simulating the construction of a Wrist-watch, thus eliminating any objection to such an attachment from the standpoint of appearance.

Other objects of the present invention will reside in its simplicity of construction, ease of attachment, adaptation for its particular purposes, and its relatively inexpensive manufacturing cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the present invention in assembled relation on the wrist of a wearer and disposed in protective relation to the palm of the hand, with portions of the device being broken away for illustrating the structural details thereof;

Figure 2 is a detailed sectional view taken substantial-- ly upon a plane passing along section line 22 of Figure 1 illustrating the details of the middle finger pocket at the outer end of the protective member;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of Figure 1 illustrating the details of the mounting construction for the device;

Figure 4 is an exploded group perspective view, with portions thereof broken away, illustrating the various elements of the invention and their relationships when assembl Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of supporting bracket; and

Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 6-6 of Figure 5 illustrating further structural details thereof.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the attachment of the present invention which is adapted tobe attached to the wrist 12 of a wearer and which is adapted to be disposed in overlying relation to the inner surface or the palm 1401: the wearers hand which is generally designated by the numeral 16.

The attachment 10 is removably secured to the wrist 12 by an expansion band 18 which may be of any conventional type employed usually with a wrist-watch, wherein the band 18 may expand for permitting the same to be moved longitudinally over the hand 16 onto the wrist 12. As is well known, the expandable band 18 is provided with tubular end members 20. Associated with each of the tubular end members 20 is a tubular pin 22 having a pair of spring urged pegs or pins 24 extending from the ends thereof which are normally employed for securing the expansion band 18 to the wrist-watch. In this instance, the pins 24 are received in the opposite legs of a U-shaped mounting bracket 26. A pair of the U-shaped mounting brackets 26 are provided, with the legs thereof having aligned openings 28 for removably receiving the pins 24, thus securing the ends of the expansion band 18 to the mounting brackets 26.

Each of the brackets 26 is integrally formed with an offset portion 30 in the center of the bight thereof, with each of the offset members 30 being integral with an elongated supporting bracket 32 which extends in perpendicular relation to the mounting brackets 26 and which extends transversely of the wrist 12, as illustrated in Figure 1. Each end of the supporting bracket 32 is provided with an outwardly extending leg 34 having anaperture 36 adjacent the free end thereof for receiving an elongated shaft 38 in the form of an elongated cotter key that has an adapter 40 on'each end thereof, with the adapter 40 having a cylindrcial projection 42 for rotatable reception in the cylindrcial sleeve 44 disposed in a hem 48 of an elongated sheet of flexible material 50. The cylindrical sleeve or reel 44 is disposed in concentric spaced relation to the shaft 38, and a coil torsion spring 52 is provided therein, with one end thereof being projected through the portions of the shaft 38 defined by the cotter key as illustrated by numeral 54. The other end thereof is provided with an angularly extending portion 56 for attachment to the sleeve 44 whereby the flexible member 50 will be wound about the sleeve 44 due to the tensioning of the torsion spring 52 when the free end of the flexible member 50 is released.

The outer end of the free end of the flexible member 50 is provided with a hem 58 defined by an elongated, reversely bent portion 60. The hem 58 is provided with a cylindrical sleeve 62 having an elongated longitudinal shaft 64 disposed therein with an adapter 66 on each end thereof, with the adapter 66 having a cylindrical projection 68 receivable in the sleeve 62 for permitting rotation of the same and providing a rigid outer end for the flexible member 50, thus retaining the flexible member 50 in overlying relation to the palm 14 of the hand 16, as illustrated in Figure 1.

The central portion of the reversely bent portion 60 is provided with a free inner edge portion as designated by the numeral 70, thus providing a pocket 72 for the middle finger 74 of the hand 16, thus retaining the flexible protective member 50 in extending position in overlying relation to the palm 14 of the hand 16, thus protecting the dress of a female dancer when the hand of the male dancer is engaged therewith during the actual dancing routine.

-vention in which the support bracket,as designated by numeral 32', is provided with a pair of transverse apertures 78 therein for receiving cotter pins 80 which have the legs thereof bent outwardly, as indicated by the numeral 82, with the free ends thereof bent in perpendicular relation to the portion 82, as indicated by the numeral 84, thus providing a U-shaped mounting bracket for receving the pins 24' of the end pin members 22, thus providing a less expensive type of construction.

The operation of both forms of the invention is identical, and by providing a device having a neat appearance.

the present invention will effectively reduce the soiling of dresses or evening gowns by perspiration, soiled hands, or a combination of both perspiration and soiled hands which is a rather common occurrence on most dance floors.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: 1

l. A device for protecting the dress of a femaledancer from damage by contact with an embracing hand of a male dancer, said device comprising a supporting'bracket, means for attaching the supporting bracket on the wrist of the wearer with the supporting bracket disposed interiorly of the wrist, a reel mounted on said supporting bracket, a flexible member wound upon said reel, and means on the free end of the flexible member for engagement with a finger of the hand, thus retaining the flexible member in overlying relation tothe palm of the hand to prevent contact of the palm of the hand with the dress of a female dancer.

2. A device for protecting the dress of a female dancer from damage by contact with an embracing hand of a male dancer, said device comprising a supporting bracket, means for attaching the supporting bracket on the wrist of the wearer with the supporting bracket disposed interiorly of the wrist, a reel mounted on said supporting bracket, a flexible member wound upon said reel, and means on the free end of the flexible member for engagement with a finger of the hand, thus retaining the flexible member in overlying relation to the palm of the 'hand to prevent contact of the palm of the hand with the dress of a female dancer, said means on the free end of the flexible member including a pocket for the middle finger.

3. A device for protecting the dress of a female dancer from damage by contact with an embracing hand of a male dancer, said device comprising a supporting bracket, means for attaching the supporting bracket on the wrist of the wearer with the supporting bracket disposed interiorly' of the wrist, a reel mounted on said supporting bracket, 3, flexible member wound upon said reel, and means on the free end of the flexible member for engagement with a finger of the hand, thus retaining the flexible member in overlying relation to the palm of the hand to prevent contact of the palm of the hand with the dress of a female dancer, said means for supporting the support bracket on the wrist including an expansible wrist band, said supporting bracket including a pair of mounting brackets detachably engaged with the ends of the expansible wristband.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said reel includes a longitudinal shaft, a sleeve journaled on said shaft in concentric spaced relation, a coil spring encircling said shaft with one end attached thereto and the other end attached to the sleeve, the outward unwinding of the flexible member tensioning said spring whereby release of the free end of the flexible member from the middle finger will permit winding of the flexible member onto the sleeve.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said flexible member covers substantially the entire palm area and the outer end thereof is provided with transverse stiffening means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,274,481 West Aug. 6, 1918 1,333,792 Bunnell Mar. 16, 1920 2,695,999 Arnold Dec. 7, 1954 

